A Broken Bond & A Shattered Koorime
by Alex Hawkens
Summary: Hiei has never known love and when Kurama confesses he is unsure if he wants to. But even as his decision is made someone from the Yoko's past drops in and ruins it all. Will Hiei be able to save his fox? Or die trying?


Hello there, my faithful readers, the new and improved A Broken Bond and A Shattered Koorime. I am pretty sure it was originally called A Broken Heart and A Shattered Koorime, but I decided bond fit better. So, yes, this story is back and it is pretty different from the old one. Longer and more thought out. But the basic plot still stands.

Disclaimer: I own NOTHING! Except Michiko and Myoko in later chapters o.o;

Warning: This fanfic contains yaoi, noncon (rape), torture, swearing, and lots and lots of good old angst. Even some character death but that won't happen till much later.

Chapters: I have no idea... No more than 20. No less than 15.

Pairings: Kuronue/Kurama, Jin/Touya, Yusuke/Keiko, Kuwabara/Yukina, Eventual Hiei/Kurama!

Note: "_Italics_"= Mind Speech

_Reg Italics_= Thoughts

A Broken Bond & A Shattered Koorime

Chapter 1: Confession Disregarded

The sun was high, its light cascading down giving its energy to the life below. Birds were chirping their pleasant songs, bathing in nearby waters happily. The sun giving many animals energy to frolic and play, spring had arrived at long last. The days of snow and cold were long behind them.

Hiei watched a few animals as they played a game of catch, his feeling of contentment a little surprising but far from unwelcome. He sat in a large oak, awaiting the arrival of his fox. They had agreed to meet in this clearing of the forest behind Genkai's temple for a training and sparring session. Hiei allowed himself to be warmed by the sun's rays even as a cold feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. He knew dread when he felt it and with his jagan acting of its own accord, he knew today would end on a most sour note. But for the moment, he would bask in the heat and enjoy the calming sounds of the forest.

_Where the hell is that fox?_ would be the thought to occasionally cross his mind but in the end, he would smirk and settle back against the tree to wait. He had decided to play a game with the redhead. The nature of spring was getting to him as well, making him a little more mischievous that normal. His energy had been masked and he had made several copies of his energy to distract and confuse the Yoko. He likes this game of chase, so it shouldn't be a problem. He decided getting up and drawing his sword to practice his swings. He fell into his stance as easily as he ever did. His sword in front of him, he made a quick downward slash and just as quickly switched the direction and slashed to the right as if we were taking out his opponent's legs. Using his speed, he darted around, his sword never stopping its constant slashing. He was aware of the life around him and took extra care not to harm any of it.

In the past, he wouldn't have cared. Killing these creatures wouldn't have mattered because they would have been presumed to be in his way. But the fox had taught him plenty in the time they had both shared in the Makai. He could admit it to himself but if anyone asked, he would say it had nothing to do with the redhead. He merely thought the killing of creatures was a waste of energy, plus it made training a little more complicated to avoid giving the deadly blow to something defenseless.

He heard a cry and stopped his movements as suddenly as he had started them. The cry had shaken his focus and his thoughts returned to the present. The cry came again and he decided to investigate. He followed the cry backtracking several times as he could hear the sound growing fainter. He grumbled but couldn't help himself, his curiosity was caught by a strange grip and he felt that it wouldn't let go until that feeling was satisfied.

Another wrong turn and then another but finally he heard the sound and knew he wasn't far. Parting the thick branches of a hedge of bushes brought him to the end of his quest. He had found the source of a cry, a curled up bundle of rusty red fur. Getting closer, the rustle of the bushes startled the creature and it looked up, its black ears flattened against its skull.

"Hey, don't worry... I'm not here to hurt you," Hiei said, his voice as quiet and gentle as he could make it.

The little thing looked up at him, golden brown eyes staring at him suspiciously from a short slender face. Its ears still back, it stretched its neck slightly to get a better look at him. It let out a whimpering whine and uncurled itself but remained laying down. Hiei noted that like the backs of its ears were black, as well as its legs looking much like stockings, while its under belly and chest were white, as was the tip of its slightly bushy tail. The white wasn't startling either, more muted like the rest of the fur, it seemed to all blend as well as stand out to know where one color ended and another began.

He kneeled down and saw what it was laying by and blinked. "Oh..." Another creature larger than the one he looked at now lay dead. A wound from its head telling of how it had died. He reached out a hand to the other and stopped just before touching it as it growled and sniffed his hand, finding it interesting as well as completely foreign.

"I'm Hiei... I promise I am not here to hurt you, little one. I just came to see what you were..." His voice was calm, deep and rumbling through the silence that had fallen them.

The animal blinked and made a cooing yip.

He couldn't help but smile. "Are you hungry? I have food that you can have in a pack where I am waiting..." He looked at the dead one next to it and frowned. "I think it would be best to leave this place. Whoever did this could come back." His anxiety caused a bit of fluctuation in his voice. He wasn't entirely aware what was causing the impulse to protect this animal but he knew he couldn't simply walk away.

Another sad yip and the animal stood; its balance was shaky and he realized it must have been without food for quite some time.

"What are you?" He asked curious as he reached out to pick up the wretched looking beast. "You remind me of Kurama in his fox form... I bet you are the mortal version of a fox." He stated with a nod of his head as he made his way back to the clearing. As he walked he couldn't help but run his fingers through the lusciously dense fur and heard the fox coo in his arms, snuggling closer to his chest. "You are an interesting creature. Most animals are too skittish and give humans and demons alike a wide berth," he murmured his curiosity.

When they finally reached the clearing, he knelt beside his knapsack to get some food for the both of them. The knapsack he had received from his sister a couple of years ago for when he journeyed between the worlds. He hardly ever used it, which was why it was still in such great shape.

Setting the fox down, he dug through the pack and pulled out some smoked meat from when he was recently in the Makai. The fox yipped a question and Hiei looked down at it, a smile once again tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Well, this is probably different from what you've had before but I think you'll still like it." He tore the meat into chunks and set them down in front of the fox, watching him carefully as he sniffed it for quite sometime.

The fox made a noise that was part yip, part growl but picked the bit of meat up daintily in its jaws and chewed, an almost thoughtful expression crossing through its elliptical eyes.

Hiei waited a moment as it finished seemingly checking for an aftertaste. "Well? How was it?" He picked up a piece for himself and popped it into his mouth as well. He didn't find anything wrong with it but thought a mortal creature might find it a bit dissatisfying.

The fox let out a happy yip after that and ate another piece, a near grin on its face. Hiei let a smirk cross his face at that and after a moment, picked up the creature to check underneath. "You're a boy," he stated in a rather bland voice, more as a vocal confirmation than anything else. "In that case I will call you, Michiko. How does that sound?" he snorted, figuring the fox would ignore him and continue eating to its stomach's content.

But to his surprise, it looked up, thought a moment, and yipped happily once more.

Hiei blinked in confusion for a while before kneeling directly in front of the fox and peering down at him, his red eyes shining with concentration. "You can understand me?" his voice was almost incredulous and then Michiko yipped again. "But... How?"

Michiko looked up from his meal; the look in his eyes almost cynical, he walked forward until he had his front paws planted on Hiei's thighs. Hiei, in turn, leaned his face forward almost expecting the fox to talk but instead, it leaned even closer, its head tilted up, and bumped its small black nose against the jagan beneath the headband he wore.

Hiei blinked a moment and remained still as the fox used this opportunity to sniff his hair and face. "My Jagan?" he asked, confused and realized in the next moment that the implanted third eye was using its power so Michiko could understand Hiei's words. 'Well that explains quite bit, but why would my Jagan waste its power on a normal fox?'

The rusty colored animal pulled away from him with a jerk and Hiei had the odd feeling that maybe it had actually heard his thoughts... But in the next instant, Michiko promptly sneezed in his face and went back to his food. Hiei looked at the fox and wiped his face on his sleeve.

"You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

The look on the foxes face could have been called smug and Hiei felt the childish urge to stick out his tongue but refrained and snorted instead.

They sat in a relatively comfortable silence until they both heard the sound of hurried steps on the path that was the only obvious entrance and exit to the clearing. Michiko whined loudly and Hiei placed a hand on his head gently to reassure him. "Don't worry, they won't hurt you, even if they wanted to. I wouldn't let them."

The fox glanced up at him and slowly began to relax under his calloused palm.

Hiei looked up at the entrance and was only mildly surprised to find Kurama walking toward him, his facial features calm and a pleasant smile on his face. However, his green eyes glowed with a slight irritation but more prominent, was the way they glowed with triumph.

"I'm beginning to think having you here in the spring is a bad idea... But I have to admit the chase was a good one," Kurama said, his smile growing wider as he spoke and came over to sit beside Hiei.

Michiko let out a bit of a whimper but otherwise just watched the newcomer warily.

Hiei looked down at him a little surprised. "You'd think a fox would recognize another fox." He glanced at Kurama, who blinked a moment confused before he glanced down at Hiei's hand petting the fox's head with surprisingly gentle fingers.

"Well, normally they have no problem with me, but other times that's not the case and they will think me too foreign to be around." Kurama shrugged it off, chalking the fox's behavior to the fact that he himself was a spirit fox and not even a regular fox demon. "Now, did you still want to train considering you had me running nearly all over Genkai's compound?"

Hiei grinned. "You enjoyed yourself so don't give me that." He looked down at the fox and pet him for a moment longer before nodding. "Yea, we will still train." Standing, he looked down at Michiko once more. "Don't worry. I'll be fine. You can have the rest of the food if you want, just wait here till I'm done. Okay?"

Michiko looked at him for a moment looking like he had something to say but instead nodded stiffly and headed for the rest of the food and began to once again chow down.

Kurama looked at the meat the fox was eating and blinked in surprise standing as well. "Hiei, you do realize what demon food does to mortal animals right?" He glanced over at Hiei to see him shrug rather nonchalantly. "Hiei..." the tone in his voice was a warning.

"Relax, fox. I'm pretty sure he won't mind any of the side effects at all."

"He?"

Hiei blinked and paused a moment. "Well, his mother is dead so I have decided to take care of him... I even named him Michiko and he finds the name acceptable." He was looking down suddenly feeling a little embarrassed but still feeling he was right in his decision.

The redhead gave a light chuckle and placed his hand on Hiei's shoulder. "That is wonderful news, Hiei. I'm sure Michiko will thrive quite well under your care. And if you ever need any help don't hesitate to ask me." He smiled and stepped away heading to the middle of the clearing. "So if that's all then, should we get started?"

Hiei nodded his head slowly and followed the fox into the clearing.

Hiei took his starting stance, his legs spreading wide and bending his knees slightly as his left hand rested upon the sheath to his sword and the right rested on the hilt. "Whenever you're ready, fox." His eyes were sharp watching Kurama's every move as his body tensed to spring at the slightest hint of an attack.

A breeze rustled the tall grass between them, the sounds of the birds and other animals of the forest was muted as a stillness filled them both, a calm sense of being that they only shared with each other.

Hiei continued to wait the fox out, trying to break him of the habit of waiting for someone else to begin the battle. _What he needs to do is think up a strategy in the beginning and change it as the battle progresses,_ he thought silently. He could practically see the gears turning in the redhead's mind as he tried to think of something.

Kurama shifted and Hiei's ruby eyes followed him but he remained in the same stance.

Kurama himself had the odd thought of how much discipline it must have taken for him to stay in such a stance for so long. He continued to slowly walk around Hiei, hoping he would be able to find a decent opening to start the session. He found it and with a quickstep and swift movement of his arm he lashed out with his rose whip.

Hiei seemingly disappeared only to reappear instantly behind Kurama. The redhead gave another quick slash of his whip nearly slicing open Hiei's cheek. _Good,_ thought the fire demon as he flipped away from the strike at the last minute.

"Hiei! I didn't hit you, did I?" Green eyes looked on in concern but still watched with a wary light incase he was attacked while he was checking on the fire koorime.

Hiei smirked and shook his head slightly as he stood up from his perch on the tree branch. "No need to concern yourself, fox. I was able to dodge it just in time. My cheek is fine." His baritone voice thick with amusement as he jumped from the tree, coming straight down at the redhead. His sword was dull side down so he wouldn't harm the yoko turned human if he struck him with it.

But Kurama had other plans and ducked, rolling away from the attack. He brought his whip up once again and it wrapped tightly around Hiei's ankle, thorns digging into the leg of his pants and boots but not breaking through to the skin.

Hiei cursed under his breath and landed carefully so as not to fall completely on his face. He tugged experimentally at the whip but found it as strong as ever. He would not be getting free any time soon. He growled hating the feeling of being chained down and looked at the redhead, his eyes displaying his agitation.

Kurama, however, looked positively pleased with himself at having ensnared his friend. "Come now, Hiei. You know we each win rather equally during our training, so there is no need for you to be so upset."

The koorime shook his head, a smirk taking over his face. Using only his arms, he pushed himself into the air and twisted quickly, the whip unwound itself and in another instant, he was gone, once again taking refuge in a tree. "You speak too soon, fox. You should know if I don't want to be chained to you, I won't be." His eyes scanned the forest floor and found Kurama standing oddly still. He waited a moment but when Kurama twitched, his stance becoming firmer, he knew he had struck a cord. He didn't know what but he figured he would have to apologize by the time this battle was over.

He flitted from the branch and came down once again but just before Kurama could counter the attack from above, Hiei changed directions and landed on the ground by the redhead's side. He tapped the fox turned human in the side with his blade.

"I win," he whispered before he was gone again.

The sparring continued for a few more hours; Kurama winning some, Hiei winning some, and some ending in a draw.

Finally, it seemed the fox was growing weary of their games. He lashed out one last time with his whip. It once again wrapped around Hiei's ankle.

Hiei snorted wondering if the fox's memory was failing him. He made to twist when another whip wrapped around the other ankle. He blinked for a moment and then Kurama pulled hard on both whips. A wince and a thud later, Hiei was on the ground. He let loose a growl when the whips weren't immediately removed. He felt a soft hand on his shoulder and was rolled onto his back in a gentle motion. Looking up, he saw green eyes staring down at him, they shone with emotions he was unfamiliar with and any rude comment he might have made, died on his tongue as he stared. "Fox?"

Kurama only continued to stare, one hand deftly going to Hiei's legs to undo the whips, but even after they were removed, the two demons remained locked in the spell of each other's eyes. "Hiei... I..." A pause and a quick glance away before those eyes were back on his.

A hitch of breath as Hiei caught several more emotions running through those gorgeous eyes.

"Hiei... I want... I want you to think on what I am about to tell you... I... I love you. I love you so much..." With that, he leaned down planting a firm yet gentle kiss on the demon's lips. "Please... think about how you feel for me and come talk with me when you have your answer... I'll be waiting." He stood without so much as a second thought and was out of the clearing before Hiei could fully wrap his mind around what had happened.

By the time he realized he could move, Kurama was long gone and Michiko had walked up and licked his cheek, whimpering in concern. "I'm fine, Michiko... I think..." Honestly he had no clue. The fox loved him... His fox loved him. He had always thought of Kurama as his, whether it be his friend or his fox... Did that mean that he loved him too? Could he possibly have found someone to love him? "Is it possible, Michiko? I... I'm the Forbidden Child... my life is supposed to be misery and suffering... Either at my own hands or at the hands of others..." A creature born of two opposing elements, two opposing tribes. How could he find love?

Michiko sat next to him as he finally sat up and stared at the grass in front of him. Another whimper had the demon looking at the fox.

"Michiko... I... I don't think I have wanted to love or be loved by anyone other than Yukina... Do..." He paused a moment and shook his head. "Who needs love?" He shrugged off the pain he felt in his chest and continued to sit there.

The fox whined and crawled into his lap curling up against his heat.

"Michiko?" The curiosity in his voice went unsatisfied as the fox for all appearances went to sleep. "I don't need love... I've never had it so I don't need it now..." His tone was firm as though he was trying to convince himself.

He sat in silence for a long while running his fingers through fur on the fox's back. He thought, _I don't need love. I can't have love. It's been told since I was thrown from my island and left to die. _He stood, holding Michiko in his arms. It had grown dark and cold. _Time to find a place to sleep... I don't think I can face Kurama yet..._ He grabbed his knapsack and flung it over his shoulder while keeping the fox secure in his hold.

He continued to think even as his legs began to move forward and by the time he came to a startling conclusion (startling to Hiei anyway), he found himself at the bottom of the tree just outside of the Fox's bedroom window.

Michiko let out a faint whine and curled itself more firmly against Hiei's chest as the fire koorime jumped into the tree and moved forward to knock on the window. When movement from within caught his eye, he paused just inches from reaching the window to tell his fox his answer. _I love him,_ he thought firmly, a warm feeling running through him at the thought of finding love.

He watched to see who could be in the fox's room, whoever it was... it surely wasn't Kurama. This person, Hiei thought it was a man, moved with a deadly accuracy and not the sensual grace that carried his Fox.

The man reached out a hand and placed it lightly on Kurama's shoulder, rolling him over gently. The light of the moon caught the redhead's features. Eyes closed so long, elegant lashes rested against his pale cheeks. Hiei noticed those cheeks were shining where the light hit them, telling him of the tears his fox had shed before falling asleep. Hiei felt his heart clench seeing those tracks but made no move to disturb the man who gently wiped them away. The redhead stirred and lids fluttered open, revealing green eyes fogged over with sleep.

"Hiei?" he called out, his voice thick with hope.

"No, it's not Hiei, Yoko... I have finally found you..." the man whispered and Kurama's emerald eyes widened as he stole a glance up at the man standing by his bedside. "I have searched for you for so long... I can't describe how happy I am that I have found you..."

Kurama's wide eyes simply stared and for a moment, fear flashed through them before the fear melted away and was replaced with happiness. "Kuronue? Is it really you? I thought you were captured... I thought you had died..."

"No, Kurama... I didn't die. I managed to escape and was in hiding... I have spent these long years trying to find you..." Kuronue bent down to place a gentle hand upon his cheek.

Kurama leaned into it even as his heart ached with a loss... but a loss of what he couldn't say.

"I no longer need to hide and I can be with you freely... If you still love me even after all this time..."

Kurama's green eyes looked him over and he wondered at the feeling of dread that filled his spine. He ignored the sense of the familiar energy just outside, and as the words fell from his lips, the spell was complete. "I do love you, Kuronue. I always have..."

Kuronue leaned forward and Kurama tilted his head up. Their lips met in a kiss, a kiss far more passionate than the one he and Hiei had shared just earlier that day.

Hiei stared for a long moment, feeling himself go numb. He should have known; he should have guessed Kurama's love for him was nothing more than an attempt to get over the love he had thought he lost.

Hiei turned in the tree prepared to jump and head back to the Makai when a voice entered his mind. _"It's easy to steal him away from you when you don't have the confidence in yourself to win him back."_

Hiei froze but didn't turn to look as a pleasured gasp reached his ears. _"Good, you hear me. He's mine not because he wants to be... You should hear his soul screaming for me to stop but his body and his mind are mine to do with as I please. No matter what I do or say, he will always be mine as long as I live."_

Hiei twitched.

The tone the voice spoke with was cold and mocking and the fact that he could toy with Kurama so ruthlessly told him of an even more sinister personality.

_"...Why are you telling me this? It's not like I was going to return his feelings in the first place,"_ he countered, hoping his bluff would work and the man would release his fox from the spell he was under.

_"No need to deny it. I can see into your very soul. Forbidden Child. You should have known your love wouldn't be easy to keep. But magic like mine comes at a cost and who better to pick up the tab than the one who moved on from me and got away? I suggest you stay away from him, Hiei. Stay away from him and this spell will keep him in the delusion that he is happy and in love. Come near him and I will finish him off."_

Before he could turn and retaliate, a surge of energy pushed into his back, not thinking of protecting himself, he curled around the fox in his arms to make sure he wasn't hurt in the landing. But he didn't land on the solid concrete of the sidewalk, instead the wind roared in his ears as he flew back to the woods where he had been earlier. _"You bastard!"_ he cried through his mind even as he was slammed into the forest floor.

A menacing laugh fell around him even as a strange chant filled his head to the brim.

He released Michiko from his hold as he felt a tightening in every muscle in his body. When it released, he bit down hard on his tongue as pain ripped through him. Wounds that had long since scarred over, wounds he had long forgotten, tore open. The blood surrounding him like some sinister halo, a groan escaped him even as he choked back his screams. He wouldn't cry out. He refused. It was weak and he had already broken his rule by falling for the fox. He wouldn't be weak again.

When the tightening fell away, he laid there his breath coming out in harsh gasps. His vision began to blur and he stared ahead at nothing. He should have known... It was just too good to be true. Asking for help never crossed his mind and as he slipped into unconsciousness with the thought, _I hope Michiko can find food until I wake up..._

Said fox watched him, eyes sad as he whined, walking forward to lick the demon's face. Another whine escaped his throat, unbeknownst to the creatures new master, the fox refused to let him die. He knew a few things about demons and the food he had consumed had already begun its work on his system. He pressed his nose to the weird eye on the demon's forehead and his whining persisted. He didn't have any energy to spare on his own so he managed to use Hiei's. It threw up a signal. The fox only hoped someone near by would be able to find his master before it was too late.

To Be Continued...

There you have it! Hope you guys enjoy this one! I'll have you know, I have redone this particular fanfic at least six times and this one is the best one so far. Haha! R&R, please and thank you!

Oh and thanks to my wonderful beta, Boredx2, cuz my puncuations sucks ass!


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